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Homemade Farmers Market Jam & Salsa

Sold each Saturday at the Ogden UT Farmers Market from 8-1pm July – Sept

5 Varieties of Fruit Salsa, Specialty Salsa and Jam like Grandma makes!

Real Fruit, Cane Sugar, No Corn Syrup, No Fillers

(Click here for our products & price list)

Contact: Jed Packer 435-770-1276 or e-mail me at: windmillfarmsgg@hotmail.com

&

Outstanding Field Golden Retrievers

“Best friends aren't born; they're made one great memory at a time.”

~See the following information below~

My Dogs

Photo Gallery

Puppy Owners Updated

Litter 2010 Information

Tribute to Clarissa

OFA, CERF & PRA Health Clearances

Providence UT Training Grounds – Cache Valley Utah – Bridgerland

“Cache County, located in the northern part of the state, is bordered by the Wasatch Mountains on the east and a spur of the Wasatch, the Wellsville Mountains, on the west. The Bear River flows through the northwestern corner of the county where the Little Bear, Blacksmith Fork, and Logan rivers add their waters to it. Cache County was formed in 1856 by the territorial legislature and its boundaries were redefined in 1864 when part of Cache became Richland (Rich) County.”

“Northern Utah was part of the Plains Culture area and, later, Shoshoni territory. Between 1824 and 1855 Cache Valley was repeatedly visited by trappers and explorers. Among the early trappers in the area were James Weber and Jim Bridger in 1824 and Peter Skene Ogden and James Beckwourth in 1825. This Valley became an important rendezvous and resort for fur traders. James Bridger was one of the greatest frontiersmen of Utah and American history. During his lifetime he was a hunter, trapper, trader, and guide, and one of only a few trappers to remain in the Rockies after the demise of the fur trade.” http://historytogo.utah.gov

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Lady Sheila of WM Farms

http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=214413

http://www.offa.org/results.html?all=SR28455001&x=11&y=1

Name:	Lady Sheila of WM Farms		Sire: SR08543608
Registration:	AKC Golden Retriever		Dam: SR13639603
Sex:	Female
Color:	Medium Golden
Birth date:	August 20, 2005
OFA Number	Registry	Test/Film Date	Report Date	Age	Final Conclusion
GR-31282	CERF	September 12, 2007	September 12, 2007	25	Tested 06,07,09
GR-93638G24F-PI	HIPS	August 24, 2007	September 19, 2007	24	GOOD
GR-EL16457F24-PI	ELBOW	August 24, 2007	September 19, 2007	24	NORMAL

 
Test Performed: prcd Mutation Test for PRA
Optigen Accession #: 08-686 February 4, 2008
Sample Type: Blood

Test Results: Genotype of Sheila is Normal/Clear.

Risk for developing prcd-PRA: This dog will NEVER develop the prcd form of PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy). Note that PRA in Golden Retrievers appears to consist of at least two different genetic defects. Neither of which are found in Sheila.

Significance for breeding: Genetically Normal/Clear dogs can be bred to any dog and will produce no pups affected with the prcd form of PRA. Percentage wise, Sheila is one of the very few breeding females in North America today that has been proactively tested for this genetic eye disease.

Natural Upland Game Hunter

Training Emphases – Pheasant, Mt. Grouse, Hunt Test, Obedience, Frisbee

Owner/Trainer: Jed Packer

Sheila: A western breed upland hunter! From a healthy litter of 11, she’s a retrieving machine with confidence on land and especially in water. A strong family trait evidenced in her progeny. Sheila possesses what we think is a main component in the hunter’s dog, cooperative behavior. This makes working with her in the field an absolute pleasure. She’s not an independent, “my way”; raise the blood pressure kind of dog. She’s a natural working dog with heart and natural inborn instincts. She’s a good looking medium colored girl with good bone.  She’s 23” tall weighing in at 65 pounds. She’s lightly feathered; flat coated and grows a tremendous down layer in the winter which has proven out on our snowshoe overnighters. She has really nice angulation blending front and rear actions for a smooth, graceful and sure footed gait. She is eager to please, intelligent, a powerful swimmer, with a high endurance, excellent nose, cold weather proven and very trainable. Our extended family owns and farms several hundred acres in Northern Utah. As a result, Sheila’s passion is hunting pheasants around the Bear River and grouse in the Wasatch Mountains. She is amateur trained and handled. Very fast on downed birds and very disappointed if we miss. Besides her regular upland game hunting, we are currently working her into the Hunt Trials. Currently training at the SH level with water, land, blind, double retrieves, pick up on command and delivers to hand. I am currently working her to piles using hand and whistle commands. I have also worked her at Field Trial distances. The last couple of years, Sheila has been a regular visitor to our daughters elementary school who passed away in May 2008. While there, my 9 year old confidently demonstrated Sheila’s obedience and tricks in front of her classmates. Afterwards, Sheila always enjoys a good mauling by the children. With a nice ON/OFF switch, she exhibits her all purpose attitude as she spends time playing in the backyard with our 4 children or curled up on her pillow for an evening with the family.

For health history, I’ve completed most lines back many generations. Some ancestral lines have been completed all the way to the early 1900 original Lord Tweedmouth dogs. Notable family members include: FC-AFC Mioak's Smokin Zeke, Am./Can./Aust. CH. Ranchosierra El Chicco, FC/AFC Sungold Lad's Talisman 0S/FDHF and many other excellent dogs. She is not a line breed dog. Her COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding = 0%) We concentrate on positive field training methods using e-collar reinforcement. She’s proven herself as a valuable hunter and wonderful family companion.

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Tribute to Clarissa

We found out on Clarissa’s 10^th birthday just before Christmas 07’ that she has a stage 3 anaplastic astrocytoma located in the center of her brain. Clarissa passed away 5 months later on May 23, 2008. We traveled 90 miles to Salt Lake City for 42 days of intense chemo and radiation without success. She amazed everyone with her courage, kindness and never once complained. It is an honor to be called her father as I learned more from her than she can ever imagine. We wish to thank everyone especially friends, family, employers and neighbors for your thoughts, prayers and kind acts. We also wish to thank the individuals and organizations of: Primary Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Macey’s, Associated Foods and Providence Elementary. Your acts of help and kindness have changed our lives for good. Clarissa loved golden retrievers and especially puppies. In her lifetime she loved, kissed and held all the puppies from both Sheila’s litters. Consider them kissed by an angel! Like me, Clarissa loved to be outside. She loved to walk in the fields with Sheila, Ruby and me. She loved to garden and sell her home grown lettuce and our Jam & salsa at our local farmers markets. She is sorely missed and often thought of. A tribute to my daughter: My Sweet Clarissa

June 09 Update: Thanks to Mrs. Anderson and a host of others including Providence Elementary, Clarissa’s memory has been captured by her wonderful 5^th grade school teacher! Through generous donations and Mrs. Anderson’s procurement of a grant, Providence Elementary has created and dedicated a wonderful outdoor classroom in behalf of Clarissa named “Clarissa’s Classroom”. Dedicated to our children that have fought and suffered from cancer. The new outdoor classroom includes a human sundial, discovery center, several beautiful plants and of course a garden center.

In addition to this, we’ve recently been informed that Providence City has created and named a new soccer field after Clarissa. The area includes a children’s park, soccer field and walking loop. As a parent the loss is tremendous, but having kind people memorialize our daughter’s life is both healing and humbling. Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you!

November 2009 Northern Utah Pheasant Hunt Report

Opening day found me at my son’s basketball game. I also missed the opening day waffles and the excitement of the morning. Family first! It turns out; my brother in law had a near miss with a frantic doe mule deer. Cornered and scared half to death, she made a run for it and nearly ran over Spencer. Walking in head-high bull rush can produce an occasional visitor. They had a good morning but left plenty of birds for us. My dogs started a little rusty but we soon found our best hunting in the afternoons. We’ve enjoyed fall weather and Mother Nature added a little snow this November. We hunted the river bottoms, ditch banks and of course the slough. It’s a 50 acre piece with an assortment of vegetation including dense cattails, swamp grass and chest high bulrush. It’s a modern day paradise for a pheasant which requires a determined dog and hunter alike. We also found a lot of success in a public basin near the Bear River which was thick with willows and waste high grass. Sheila had her best night in the bottoms flushing several birds. When we hunted the slough, Sadie (German Shorthair) run the middle while Gus (Yellow Lab) and my 2 goldens flanked the outsides. Hunting with dogs and hunters that “Get it” is a real pleasure. We worked slowly the vegetation and allowed the dogs to stay close and hunt hard. Crafty birds will slip the line when given a chance. By the end of the season Sadie’s chest was nearly rubbed raw. Reliable Gus is starting to show some white around the muzzle as he nears the 8 year mark. They were out nearly every day. Our flushers and pointers work well together as we enjoyed a very successful and safe hunt. Traversing through dense and rough terrain is exhausting for the dogs. Their eyes, nose and feet take a real beating and often get rubbed raw. It takes a determined dog to get in and really hunt these areas day after day. Something road hunters never experience. Ruby had her heyday the last day of the hunt. We shot and lost a rooster in the dense cattails. All 4 dogs searched for about 10 minutes then suddenly Ruby appeared at my side with a nice looking rooster pictured below (Right). Nice job girl! She’s really getting it and the training is paying off. I’m very pleased that I’m getting such great drive and desire from my 2 females. I couldn’t be more pleased with their versatility and attitude. A special thanks to my In-laws & brother-in-laws.

Philosophy:

The success of our future Golden Retriever populations falls squarely on the quality of the sires and dams used with each new generation. Their degree of excellence is expressed in the earned titles, field work, conformation, attitude and health. The history of the Golden Retriever began around the early 1900’s in Scotland, with the original intent of developing the perfect hunting dog for both sport and sustenance. With meticulous record keeping a handful of people like Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, a British aristocrat, who later became the first Lord Tweedmouth, from Brook House, Park Lane, London dedicated their lives in the development of this breed. While careless & rampant breeding happen in earnest today, there a many breeders that continue the original intent while adding sporting breed qualities. Powerful, active dogs, that are structurally sound and well balanced. Golden Retrievers possess a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident. Any breeder becomes a steward & contributor to the outcome this wonderful breed. As such, methodical consideration should be given to each new life. According to the AKC the Golden Retriever is a Sporting Breed. They love to work with a “Give me a job” attitude. Sure, Goldens make great family members, their great with kids and are highly trainable. Because of their versatility, many people are proving how much more they can become. Goldens are excelling in agility trials, as impairment companions, rescue dogs, hunt trials and field tests. We keep these goals in mind with any new litter. Besides all this, they love to hunt. The opportunity for most folks to hunt, train or prove this fine breed is diminishing or difficult logistically. Today’s Hunt, Agility and Field test programs offer a wonderful option and are set up to prove dog & owner capabilities. Fortunately, we have family members that own or have access to 100’s of acres of prime farmland in Northern UT. It’s where the rubber hits the roads for us as find to out what kind sporting bred dogs we really have. We hunt and train on wild birds in all kinds of terrain. Young dogs are trained at bird ranches giving them confidence with each success. Obedience and desire are a must. Wanting the best multi-purpose Golden Retrievers means breeding to the highest quality field and obedience studs available. Our goal with each litter is to produce golden retrievers with desire, trainability and easy to live with temperaments. We look for dogs with classic field bred conformation & drive. Meaning, pups will have good bone alignment, deep chests, agile, go all day, athletic bodies. Good health is of utmost importance to us therefore; both parents will have their health clearances. Best of all, regardless of how you use them; they’ll be wonderful members of your family. Puppies will be well socialized and include a puppy pack with pedigrees and other helpful information. They will be vet checked, dewclaws removed, wormed and vaccinated. The Golden's desire to please is legendary-making them a top obedience competitor and first-rate companion.

Retrieving desire: Dogs have different degrees of interest in retrieving. Greater the drive, then the greater the chance of overall success in training and competitive performance. One can have pulsating drive but if paired with a lack of intelligence or a low degree of tractability, then the dog will probably not be successful.

Intelligence: Dogs, like people, have different levels of intelligence. The smarter dog progresses more quickly in training and also retains more than one who has a lesser degree of native intelligence.

Tractability: This is a very important characteristic of the elite retriever. The ideal dog should be easy to control and be malleable. The opposite of tractability is stubbornness and a dog that is prone to be dishonest and purposefully look for ways to defy the instructions of the handler.

To make this happen, you MUST spend the time with them!

Litter Information

2010 Spring plans will consist of Sheila X Striker

HRCH UH Heldt's Mr Strike 3 Your Out

http://www.huntersgoldstrike.com/HTML%20Pages/Striker.htm

(Direct owner quotes about Striker)

Sheila is an excellent producer

$850 for male or female full registration, contract = standard hip and elbow guarantee, $250 deposit

Accepting deposit after Sheila comes into season. First come, first served. Live breeding. Expecting breeding to occur in March or early April.

Puppies will be vet checked and given first shots. All shipping or freight charges will be the responsibility of the buyer.

Contract available upon request.

For all questions, e-mail or call me.

v He has the broad head look, which adds to his handsome looks and weighs about 75 pounds and stands 23 inches tall. He is the true golden color and built very stout and athletic!

v Striker has proved himself in the field, by seven months of age he had three started passes towards the SHR title. On August 17, 2003 at eleven months of age, he passed the Started level and received the SHR title. Striker received his HR title on August 14, 2004 at the Platte Valley Fall Hunt Test. Striker also received his UH (Upland) title on March 13, 2005 at the Central Rockies Upland Hunt Test! On June 19, 2005 Striker received his Hunting Retriever Champion (HRCH) title at Panhandle HRC hunt test in Bridgeport, Nebraska. In Striker's impressive run of titles, he only misfired in two tests on the way to three titles in ten months, receiving his HR, UH, and HRCH titles.

v August 13, 2006 Striker earned his 500 points and is now inducted into the 500 point club with HRC. Follow the 500 point link and check under Heldt! Currently there are 379 dogs in the 500 point club of which most are labs.  Of these 379 dogs there are only 25 Golden Retrievers to which Striker is one of them. What a great accomplishment!

v Striker has reached the 1000 points on May 16, 2009. We are very proud of Striker for accomplishing this. He is now the 4th Golden Retriever to reach this in the history of HRC. Although he will be somewhat retired, we will continue to run him in a few tests.  He loves to do this so we think we should not entirely retire him from the game. Who knows, maybe we can get to 1500 points!

v Although Striker has never passed the grand, he has made it to the 3rd series twice. We are proud of him for even being qualified to run with the "big guys" at the national level. 

We expect classic temperaments, multipurpose, hunt test prospects, fantastic hunters and very handsome pups!

Puppy Owners Page

Opie X Shiela Litter 2007: To Darrell and family. We are very sorry and saddened to hear about the loss of Hickory. Hickory was killed spring 08’ in a farming accident at his ranch in Nevada. Our sincere condolences to you and your family.

Chris contacted me recently and shared a couple of photo’s of his fall pheasant hunt. Sasha is a Jake X Sheila pup how looks like she is doing well in the field.

“Here's a couple of pictures from Sasha's first hunt.  She'll be turning one in a few weeks.  Hope your family is doing well!”

Chris

Mike and his brother dropped by early to pick a puppy and look over the litter. We invited them over for dinner and enjoyed an evening of stories and more stories. Mike had recently lost an old hunting buddy and terrific dog. You don’t replace an old buddy but the time had now arrived to start a new chapter and welcome a new partner & hunting pal. For most of us, our dogs are part of our family and life and not something we stick in a kennel out back and feed because we have to. Mike was no exception in his admiration for the golden breed and quality dogs. By the end of the day, all I could hope was that this new little guy would grow into the dream dog Mike was hoping for. Mike e-mailed me recently and sent some photo’s. Looks like he’s doing very well.

“I just took these this morning while we were scouting hunting grounds. Max never stops surprising me. He is very energetic and smart. He always has his nose to the ground and is curious about everything. He also has no fear, which is good and bad at times.”

The Sharp family contacted me weeks before our last Sheila X Jake litter. They described what they wanted and I told them what our plans were. A lot of talk and discussion went into the process but as you can tell from the picture and the comments, they’re a very happy family. I haven’t seen all the pictures from the Jake x Sheila litter but it sounds like we have drive and beauty! Lilly is a real looker!

“Hi Jed,

I just wanted to share some new developments about Lilly. She is getting so big, 40+ lbs and still the biggest cuddle bug. I have never seen a dog who likes to be cuddled so much! She is learning more everyday. Right now with the heat in the high 90's low 100's her favorite thing to do is swim in the pool. If she is hot and no one is in the pool she sits and cries at the gate. Whenever we let her into the pool area she just jumps in. The kids taught her to dive off the diving board (2ft off the water) and now she does it just for fun. She cries pitifully if the kids try to swim without her. She LOVES to retrieve from the water. She will bring anything you throw and if you won’t play with her she will throw her own ball in and go after it!! She loves to bury her head under the water and get her toys. The last few days she has decided to "save" us and she will grab our hand from under the water, wrap her front paws around our forearm and swim/drag us to the steps. She is so gentle the whole time too. She is so cute! She looks so much like Sheila, so beautiful!! We love her so much!”

Hope all is well with you and your family,

Take care,

Sharp Family

Colleen from California contacted me looking for a SAR Search & Rescue dog from the Sheila & Push litter. She described what she was looking for in behavior, drive and sociality. I was pretty confident in the litter but I have to admit in the back of my mind I was keeping my fingers crossed. When Colleen arrived at our house I handed her a nice female and told her that I believe this is the one for her. She took the puppy into our garage and ran Maddie through a series of tests used to exploit disposition and the behavior necessary to aid in her success as a SAR dog. Maddie passed with high marks; Colleen smiled and said “We’ll Take Her!”

“Hi Jed,

Maddie has moved right in and taken control. She is just a lovely, smart, little girl, but a goofball! This picture is from her first training day at Search and Rescue 3/29/08. At this age the trainers play age appropriate games with her to socialize her with other trainers, and we encourage her to clamber over all the stuff in the disaster zone. She gets to follow around the big dogs when they are doing ground search problems - Socializing her to other dogs of various ages and introducing her to the trained behaviors. Her breeding shows she loves to run and dive into the water and swim just for the fun of it. Getting her not to, is the challenge. Maddie is about 60 lbs and the Vet says she is one of the most perfect goldens she's ever seen. We will be resuming advanced obedience training this week, and if that goes well resume SAR training in December or January. But I can already tell from working with her myself, she is much better at focusing her attention. Regardless of whether she becomes successful at SAR, she has stolen our hearts and my husband just adores her. She is spoiled of course. She sleeps at the end of our bed which I never thought my husband would ever think of allowing before we got her.”

Ann & Grant contacted me from NM where they raise and train horses on a beautiful ranch. They were looking for an all purpose Golden that would fit into their active lifestyle. The Push X Sheila litter caught their eye and we are very happy it did. It looks like Heidi has a wonderful family in a beautiful part or the country. 
 

“Hi Jed,

Everything is going great! Heidi has grown so much. She is undoubtedly the most athletic puppy we have ever had. We love her temperament. Just a sweetheart! She is very eager to learn and has some of the basic commands down - which is amazing because she is still so young. She's been great with the horses and other animals. I have attached a couple of pictures that capture her spirit and her beauty.

We could not have done any better.

Thanks!

Ann and Grant”

Once in a while something happens in life that brings a person back to earth. In the race to raise and train great multi-purpose goldens sometimes the human touch gets lost in all of it. This was case between a very special girl and her very special golden retriever. Several months ago Marta called me from Washington State. She told me that her 13 year old daughter had found my website and really, really wanted a puppy from the Opie litter. She’d looked at several sites but told her mother that there was a female in that litter especially for her. At first, I smiled and figured it was the sweet dream of a 13 year old girl. Miquela (Mekayla) insisted, had been saving for some time and sent in a deposit. She told me her name would be Kola. A Native American name that means friend. Miquela and her father drove to Utah from Washington when Kola turned 8 weeks old to pick her up. Here’s the rest of the story. Meanwhile, I was unaware that my 9 year old daughter Clarissa had fallen in love with Kola. She played with her everyday. Because of the demeanor of Kola I decided she’d be the right one for Miquela. Clarissa happened to be there when Miquela, her father and brother arrived. I asked Clarissa to go get the puppy we’d chosen for Miquela. When she handed Kola over to Miquela, Clarissa ran inside. After they left, I came inside to see where Clarissa had run off to. My wife motioned to her room and explained what had been going on the last several weeks. I tried to explain to saddest 9 year old in town that we have a nice dog and that Miquela needed a nice dog too. As a father, this was one of those tough ones. Recently, Marta sent me and e-mail and a picture. It’s extremely heart-warming and worth sharing.

“Dear Jed,

When she first came to your place in August, I was on business travel so I called her and asked her what she thought of Kola at first sight and she said "She's perfect."  Ever since, Kola is known in our neighborhood as the luckiest dog on the planet.  She even wags her tail as she walks with Miquela.  After Miquela came to your place to pick up kola with her father and brother, they went on to Olympia Washington to Ashley Creek Farm which has been in my family for decades (www.ashleycreek.com).  Kola was able to run and play to her hearts delight.  The real heart that was delighted was Miquela's.  I've never seen a child so taken with an animal and I grew up with several.  If ever two souls were intended to meet it was Kola and Miquela. For the last 3 months Kola has enjoyed living in Naples California near the famous canals and a huge dog park where she has many friends.  Things are going very well, and she is now about 40 pounds of pure joy.”

Best Regards from a very happy parent, Marta.

Josh and Lisa of UT stopped by to pick out a replacement hearing impaired therapy dog. Unfortunately, they lost their lab to an accident. It was a bitter/sweet evening as they discussed what happened. I quickly learned about the time and effort it takes to train a hearing impaired dog. They decided to spend the next several years with one of Sheila’s daughters. Good Choice! They needed an intelligent, strong natured dog that was willing to serve them for years to come. We are very excited for them as they’ve already begun their training. Here’s what they have to say about Akhila the oldest daughter and first born of the Opie litter.

“Hi Jed-

I wanted to send a cute picture from Akhila's birthday this year.  It was fun since she is pretty good about letting us put things on her now that she is training with the service dog vest.  We also took Akhila on her first plane ride to Seattle to visit Josh's family at the end of June.  She sat in the front seats of the plane with us and laid at our feet. She did extremely well throughout the whole airport / shuttle / rental car process with the large crowds and distractions aplenty!  Her ears perked when we took off the first time but the way home it was like she was an old pro.  She is getting more mature and loves to learn new things and is great at all the clicker training we do with her.  We tire her out with a lot of walks and Frisbee throwing too! She has also been swimming so much now that she swims the whole time and doesn't ever want to get out!  Utah Lake has a great place that is quiet and calm for dogs and people to swim and we've been there a couple times. We plan to keep working on service dog things for the next year and then start putting her through the therapy dog training.  She has a very gentle and perfect personality for also being a therapy dog. 

Best wishes to you and your family-

Josh and Lisa and Akhila”

George and Shirley of ID, a retired couple, with a zest for life and love of golden retrievers made the long drive from Northern ID to meet Sheila and pick out their puppy, Sunny. A beautiful female with a medium golden coat. We had a wonderful visit and found out how much they really love their dogs! Here’s what they had to say after picking their puppy.

“Hi Jed, Thank you, thank you, and thank you.  We are loving our little puppy girl.  She is so smart. I can tell that she is going to be the best dog we have ever had. Jed, here are some recent pics of Sunny.  She has had real good exercise this winter, going cross country skiing with me and George also takes her out to run. She loves the snow. So she is very muscular and well filled out as you can see. Isn't she beautiful?”

Andy & Shawna of ID attended a dog show in a nearby city during the spring 07’. They saw conformation, agility, obedience and rally competitions. They wanted to match the right breed to their situation. I was most impressed by how much homework they did. I’m even more impressed with how they are helping sweep develop. They came away convinced that a field bred golden was the right thing for them. In addition to being a family dog, Andy hunts as seen below with Sweeps first duck hunt. Also shown below are Sweep and Wendy working together at a 4H agility competition. Wendy trains with Sweep at a club for agility. Wendy recently posed with Sweep holding a blue and red ribbon after winning her competition. Congratulations!!

“Spring has finally come here and we can get Sweep out and about more.  He passed his beginning agility 4H class last week.  Today we had him out at the river retrieving.  He loves to fetch in the water and his focus was incredible.  This is the most unusual dog I have ever owned, and I mean that in the best way.  His desire to try things and learn is amazing and as to his retrieving... well let’s just say that if it is thrown he will bring it back, regardless. ”

The decision to bring a golden retriever into your home is one that will have a profound effect on your life.  Puppies are adorable but they grow up. Buy a pup because you want great companion & friend. For dog and owner satisfaction our pups should go to active homes. Anyway you look at it, 60+ lbs of hairy dog can't help but make an impact in your life.  They are considered a large breed so make sure you’re ready for the time and commitment needed before taking the plunge. They don’t do well when chained or left alone for hours in a 6x10 kennel day after day. This is torture to a Golden so don’t bother calling unless you have the time, patience and facilities to accommodate such a dog. Golden Retrievers are bred with brains, beauty, love for people of all ages, good health, and a desire to work. So why do I mention all this? Picking a puppy is serious stuff. After all you’re making a decision that will last the next 10-15 years. If you’re looking for a quality purebred Golden, don’t go BARGAIN HUNTING. Whether you purchase a puppy from me or not, find a responsible breeder, breeding good dogs with health clearances and conformance to breed standards. They’re an expense; so fall in love with a well bred puppy. As individual puppy personalities vary, we will try and match the golden to your wants and needs. This can be done best after a few weeks when they are up and going. If this type of golden fits your activity level and lifestyle, give us a call or email.

Photo Gallery

(All rights reserved on all photo’s courtesy of my good friend and neighbor Brent R. Paull http://www.amwestphoto.com)

For nearly 13 years Brent and I have traveled the Western United States photographing some of the most amazing country and animals the west has to offer. Yellowstone elk and grizzly in addition to southern Utah’s beautiful canyon lands rank at the top of my list.

HEALTH

Become Educated Before You Buy

Check out the following websites

Check out this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs_(book)#Brightest_Dogs

WHAT IS CERF? http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html

“The Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) is an organization that was founded by a group of concerned, purebred owner/breeders who recognized that the quality of their dog's lives were being affected by heritable eye disease. CERF was then established in conjunction with cooperating, board certified, veterinary ophthalmologists, as a means to accomplish the goal of elimination of heritable eye disease in all purebred dogs by forming a centralized, national registry.

The CERF Registry not only registers those dog's certified free of heritable eye disease by members of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (A.C.V.O. ), but also collects data on all dogs examined by A.C.V.O. Diplomates. This data is used to form the CERF data base which is useful in researching trends in eye disease and breed susceptibility. Not only is this data useful to clinicians and students of ophthalmology, but to interested breed clubs and individual breeders and owners of specific breeds.”

HOW DOES CERF WORK?

“After the painless examination of the dogs eyes, the A.C.V.O. Diplomate will complete the CERF form and indicate any specific disease(s) found. Breeding advice will be offered based on guidelines established for that particular breed by the genetics Committee of the A.C.V.O. Bear in mind that CERF and the A.C.V.O. are separate, but cooperating entities. The A.C.V.O only provides their professional services and expertise to ensure that uniform standards are upheld for the certification of dog's eyes with the CERF organization.”

WHAT IS OFA? http://www.offa.org/

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals—1966 to 2006

Forty Years of Dedication to the Advancement of Canine Health

The OFA Databases

“The OFA databases are core to the organization’s objective of establishing control programs to lower the incidence of inherited disease.  Responsible breeders have an inherent responsibility to breed healthy dogs.  The OFA databases serve all breeds of dogs and cats, and provide breeders a means to respond to the challenge of improving the genetic health of their breed through better breeding practices.  The testing methodology and the criteria for evaluating the test results for each database were independently established by veterinary scientists from their respective specialty areas, and the standards used are generally accepted throughout the world.  The following databases have been developed and are maintained by the OFA today:”

• Hip Dysplasia
• Elbow Dysplasia
• Patellar Luxation
• Autoimmune Thyroiditis
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
• Sebaceous Adenitis
• Congenital Deafness
• Shoulder OCD
• Several DNA Based Databases such as von Willebrand’s Disease and Progressive Retinal Atrophy

OPTIGEN for the genetic advantage http://www.optigen.com/

“OPTIGEN is a service company established to provide DNA based diagnoses and information about inherited diseases of dogs. We promise the highest quality diagnostic and testing services available in the fields of veterinary medical genetics and molecular diagnostics. Our testing procedures are developed by research scientists and veterinarians associated with OPTIGEN, and are extensively field-tested in cooperation with breeders of dogs.” They are the leading test facility for prcd-PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy)

The Golden Retriever Club of America http://www.grca.org/

“Your puppy's purchase price may be a smidgen of what you spend over its lifetime. Think ahead to 10-12 years of veterinary bills and the importance of choosing a puppy whose ancestors have been screened for common health issues which have a genetic basis.”

“AKC registration simply means the sire and dam of your Golden Retriever are the same breed. It does NOT guarantee health, temperament, structural soundess or breeding quality.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Acquiring a Golden Retriever

Puppy

Rescue
Goldendoodles
Rare White Golden

Abbreviations for AKC Titles, GRCA, AKC Awards: CH-Champion (conformation), FDHF-Field Dog Hall of Fame, CERF-Canine Eye Registration Foundation, FC - Field Champion, OS-Outstanding Sire, OFA-Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, AFC-Amateur Field Champion, OD-Outstanding Dam, NAHRA-North American Hunting Retriever Association, NAFC-National Amateur Field Champion, VC-Versatility Certificate, SR - Started Retriever-1st hunting title, CD-Companion Dog-1st obedience title, *-Placement in sanctioned Field trial, WR - Working Retriever - 2nd hunting title, CDX-Companion Dog Excellent - 2nd obedience title, **-Placement in licensed Field Trial, MHR - Master Hunting Retriever - 3rd hunting title, UD-Utility Dog - 3rd obedience title, *** - Qualified Open All-Age; placed Championship stake Field Trial,   JH-Junior Hunter - 1st hunt test degree, WC-Working Certificate (Field), SH-Senior Hunter - 2nd hunt test degree, WCX-Working Certificate Excellent (Field) MH-Master Hunter - 3rd hunt test degree, CGC-Canine Good Citizen certificate.

Last Web Update: Tuesday, March 09, 2010

WFGG Dog Archives

Ruby’s Prairie Sunrise of WM Farms

http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=283842

Owner/Trainer: Jed Packer/North Mt Retrievers

Name:	Rubys Prairie Sunrise of WM Farms	Sire: SR10633606
Registration:	AKC Golden Retriever	Dam: SN88355303
Sex:	Female
Color:	Dark Golden
Birth date:	December 18, 2007

Dark red, beautiful, well muscled, fast, athletic and lots of drive.
I have a limited number of dogs I can train and breed. Ruby cannot be added to our breeding program so we are making the tough decision to place her to the right home. She will have the wonderful opportunity to hunt and train with Dennis in Rhode Island. Good luck Ruby and Dennis!

Stud & Litter Archives

Spring 2009 Litter Information 4 Males/4 Females

The most uniformed I’ve had. Nice solid, creamy golden with happy temperaments and exploring minds. I’m anxious to see how these guys turn out. Titles: MH-Master Hunter, HRCH-Hunting Retriever Champion, UH-Upland Hunter, WCX-Working Certificate of Excellence, CGC-

Canine Good Citizen In summary, Jake is a dynamic golden that fits the bill for many purposes. His titles and usage clearly tell his story; great dogs with good training will succeed. Jake attained the very prestigious AKC Master Hunter and UKC/HRC Hunting Retriever Champion and Upland Hunter titles, having been primarily owner trained and handled. He is a superb hunting dog with strong marking ability and an excellent nose, as well as an excellent house dog and truck-buddy. Quiet, friendly, handsome and playful, he's a wonderful companion during his non-working times, but is most outstanding just doing his job - - retrieving waterfowl in all kinds of conditions, with VERY few escapees. He has easily translated all the skills necessary to become a Master Hunter/Hunting Retriever Champion into capably excelling at the unpredictable situations found in the duck marsh. He is loaded with talent yet suitable as an affectionate and joyful family companion. Jake does not achieve all that he has done if he were not truly an outstanding dog.

Spring 2008 Litter Information 1 Male/4 Females

Push is an amazing dog much like a decathlon style athlete that simply has the complete package. Everyone I’ve talked to that has met or seen Push is very complimentary. Most everyone remarks on his handsome looks, speed in the field, calm demeanor and happy personality. He comes from amazing field stock including but not limited to his mother “Pony” GMHR Phoebe's Prize Piponia CDX MH AX AXJ WCX CCA OD who achieved not only her Grand Master Hunting Retriever but added the following titles: Companion Dog Excellent, Master Hunter, Agility Excellent, Excellent Jumper With Weaves, Working Certificate Excellent, Breed Ring, Outstanding Dam. With a host of Trial, Hunt and competitive ancestry, its no wonder Push possesses such extraordinary talent. Owner/trainer Mike Ducross says of Push; He is a rare kind of dog that combines a stunning physical package with outstanding field performance. Push has that “WOW” factor in looks, in training attitude and in the field giving 100% on land or water.

“On Canada Day weekend, July 1st, Push became AFTCH. Firemark’s Push Comes To Shove, Am.*** He earned this title after winning the Open All-Age stake at the  Sudbury and District Kennel Club’s field trial. On September 3rd, Push became FTCH., AFTCH. Firemark’s Push Comes to Shove, Am.*** by picking up his 10th all age open point at the Ottawa Retriever Club Trial.  Push had just turned four in May.  On September 3, 2005 Push earned his FTCH title by placing 4th at the Ottawa Retriever Club trial.  The next day he won the Amateur!”

“On September 27, 2005, Push ran and won the 89 dog Amateur All-Age stake at the Golden Retriever Club of America National Specialty. Shortly afterwards, he accomplished the near impossible and earned Breed Championship points in the ring against conformation-bred Goldens, the first field-bred golden to do so in many years. Push ended 2005 having accumulated a total of 4 All-Age Blue Ribbons, and 31 All-Age points! Push now has a life time total of 38 all age points, 33 points in Canada and 5 points in the U.S.” 

Spring 2007 Litter Information 4 Males/5 Females

Comment: 2/28/08 The Sheila/Opie litter appears to be a success. The pups are all doing very well. I have recently met some of the dogs. My compliments to the owners! They are very attractive dogs with drive and desire. Their build and athleticism seems to be a prevailing attribute among all of them. One young male is doing triples at 8 months and retrieving ducks in ice cold water. I had a call about 1 week ago wanting to know if any of the owners would be willing to sell their dogs? I contacted many of the current owners and everyone said “NO WAY!” That’s a good sign. Thank you Opie and Sheila. Sire: Flyway's October Pardner MH*** WCX

http://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=29739

CERF GR-22856/2001-24 (Eyes Clear/Normal)

OFA GR-71967G24M-PI (Hips = Good)

OFA GR-CA03632/24M/C-PI (Cardiac = Normal)

OFA GR-EL04425-PI (Elbow = Normal)

Master Hunter Title

Working Certificate of Excellence Title

Nevada State Gun Dog Champion

Nevada State Open Champion

Qualified 2 Master Nationals

GRCA 2^nd in the open

GRCA 4^th in the amateur

JAMs and reserve JAMS in the Qual State

Grandson of FC AFC Tangelo's Side Kick OS FDHF

Owner/Trainer: Don and Helen Graves

Sire: An outstanding Field/Hunt Test Stud. Great Grandson of MNH Alpenglos Western Marshal MH who was the 1^st GR to pass 4 Master Nationals. He passed his last Master National at the age of 10 years. He was also the Oregon State Retriever of the year. Grandson of Tangelo's Sidekick who achieved both the Field Dog Hall of Fame (FDHF) and Outstanding Sire (OS) titles. With well over 100 trial points, he’s gone down in history as one of the best Field Goldens. Both names are listed in many of the top Golden pedigrees today. Opie’s Mother, 2001 Master National Hunt Test also earned her Outstanding Dam title March 05’ based on the many field titled puppies she produced from just 2 litters. These pups earned hunt test titles (JH, SH, and MH).  His half brother "Sunny" who was an MH at 2 yrs., ran in the Master National in California and passed (only 4 years old), he now has the Master National Hunter title.  Other pups went into field trials and are doing very well. Two are Qualified All Age at age 2 yrs. and are now running in the Amateur stake on the West Coast. Like his predecessors, Opie is a stud that has produced excellent hunt and field trial dogs with outstanding temperaments. Both sides of Opie’s pedigree are packed with titled dogs in Hunt Tests, Field Tests and Obedience Tests: 1-OS 1-FDHF, 2-FC, 1-SH, 6-MH, 7-WCX all within 4 generations. Every single dog within at least 4 generations has been OFA hip certified. This is an outstanding line with proven progeny.

Opie is a medium sized dark golden weighing 65 lbs. (field running weight, no fat, all muscle). His post Field Trial career includes primarily duck hunting and tandem upland game hunting with his 11 year old mother. Has good bone, good conformation and nice medium head. He has a great temperament and is very biddable.  Opie has been owner trained and handled through all hunt tests and then into trials. His hunt test career was fast -- JH, SH, and then became MH at only 22 mo of age. He was run in 3 Derbies, is derby pointed before he aged out at 24 months. JAMs and Reserve Jams in the Qual Stake. Became qualified ALL AGE at all-breed field trial in July 2002 at 39 months of age. At 3 yrs of age he won the Nevada State Gun Dog Championship and the following year won the Nevada State Open.  He qualified to run in two Master Nationals. At the GRCA National trial he placed 2nd in the Open and 4th in the Amateur.

THE END – THANK YOU FOR VISITING